It is with a heavy heart that we write regarding the abhorrent hate crime that occured over the weekend in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, a place meant to pray and worship. It is believed to be the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the US history, leaving eleven dead and six injured. Yet again we are faced with the horrendous results of intolerance and prejudice. This shooting followed after the news of the killing of two African American women in a Kroger grocery store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, by a man who first tried to enter a predominately African American church, but couldn’t get into the building. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected during this very difficult time.

In times like this, we as a community need to stand together more than ever, as society is unity in diversity. Violence has no place in our society and hate must not find its way in any part of our community. It is on each one of us to share messages and actions that foster intolerance of any kind of brutality. As the FIT Student Government Association, we need to come together to show support of one another especially in times of despair. We need to stand in support for all religious groups and backgrounds on campus. It is our responsibility to stand by them and show them our unifying support and be there for them.

Resources available at FIT include the Counseling Center, Health Services, the Department of Student Life, Residential Life, the FIT Student Government Association, and the Dean of Students Office.

Please join us and the Dean of Students tomorrow, October 30th at 1pm to be held on the Breezeway for a moment of silence to pray and remember those affected by this horrific act.

Hate is not tolerated on our campus and we hope that you all can spread this message.

Following Governor Cuomo’s recent proposal that requires the NYC school district to provide free menstrual hygiene products in restrooms for girls in grades 6 through 12, I would like to bring that initiative over to FIT. Joining in support of “menstrual equity,” the goal is to have free, accessible menstrual products in the female and gender-neutral restrooms on campus. Currently on our campus, we have to pay a quarter for these products and in addition to that, some of the dispensers do not work.

Nowadays, you can start seeing a shift in how people are approaching menstrual care and how we are removing the stigma behind the cycle. Universities such as Emory University, Harvard University, University of South Florida, Colgate University, Brown University, and so many more have started to provide free menstrual products in the female bathrooms. Brown University was the first university to stock all female, male, and gender-neutral bathrooms, covering all demographics on campus. Amongst the SUNY system, campuses such as Stony Brook University, the College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Plattsburgh, and SUNY Oswego have implemented their own program on their campuses.